After Hurricane Helene hit St. Pete Beach, St. Pete Beach, Café Soleil owner Lauren Chezoud felt fortunate—her business remained intact, and the power stayed on. Chezoud and her team quickly jumped into action, providing free hot meals, checking on elderly residents, clearing debris, and packing lunchboxes for children.

But just two weeks later, Hurricane Milton struck, and this time, Café Soleil wasn’t so lucky. Water from an unsealed unit above flooded the café, damaging walls, furniture, equipment, and supplies.

Chezoud estimates it will take months to reopen and even longer to regain a sense of normalcy. “We hoped to be here to support our community, but now we’re struggling to support our staff,” Chezoud explains. “Half of my team is homeless and have lost their cars or their roofs.”

Help Cafe Soleil rebuild after Hurricane Milton

With many staff members displaced and unable to work until the café reopens, Chezoud is seeking help from the local community to expedite recovery. Café Soleil has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $25,000. So far, nearly $15,000 has been raised, with funds going toward keeping the team employed and rebuilding the café. Any donations exceeding the goal will support other small businesses affected by the storm.

“We survived COVID, past storms, red tide, and having to relocate and rebuild… we will survive this!” reads the donation page. “It’s going to take us a minute, BUT we will be back and ready to greet you with a hug, coffee, and a warm croissant.”

You can donate to Cafe Soleil’s recovery campaign here.